|CHAPTER 2|
SPANDEX
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LUCY DIDN'T HAVE THE TIME TO THINK ABOUT AWKWARD REUNIONS. She stepped into the elevator with Sue, Ben and Reed.
The elevator ride was quiet for about few seconds before Sue broke the silence.
Sue turned to Reed, "Reed, you should know those solar winds are picking up speed."
"I factored them into my coordinates. Plus, Victor's got some equipment that could get whoever's out there, back in quickly." Reed reassured.
"Right, of course you did. In theory." Sue shrugged. "It's a little different once you're out there."
"I assure you I--"
"When are we leaving?" Lucy smiled, trying to break the silence.
"I'll be scheduling the launch. So you can call me in the morning for resources and crew." Sue said, handing Reed a card with her number.
"I think I remember the number." Reed smirked.
"It's been changed." Sue muttered coldly as Reed took the card.
Ben cleared his throat, Reed looked at him before speaking, "As far as crew, I was hoping Ben could pilot the mission." Reed patted Ben's back.
"We already have a pilot on our payroll but you're welcome to ride shotgun." Sue smiled, "Remember my brother Johnny?"
She definitely remembered Johnny. Lucy still remembered the last time he'd talk to her. A party at their place. He had used her past affections to look cool in front of his guests.
Sue instantly remembered the whole situation and smiled awkwardly. Lucy didn't have a problem with Sue after the party, but she definitely lost contact with Johnny. What's worse was that he ignored her the next day until the last day of MIT, when they moved far away.
She couldn't wait to see him again . . .
Lucy looked in her binoculars to see Johnny in a motorcycle, beside a girl in a fancy black car. He leaned in and kissed her, the girl, looking dazed, waved before Johnny sped off into the distance.
"Looks like he didn't change a bit." Lucy muttered bitterly, making Reed and Ben look at her in guilt. They were the ones who got to Lucy telling her about the party at Johnny and Sue's way before any of them did.
"Let me guess, wishing that chick was you?" Reed smirked jokingly. Lucy looked at him and shook her head.
"Can't do it. Cannot do it." Ben turned his back on Reed, throwing his hands up in the air.
Reed turned to Ben. "External SRBs, orbital system engines, it's just like the shuttle you flew--"
"No! I cannot take orders from the underwear model." Ben gestured to the road Johnny sped off to.
"In fact, none of us can." Lucy put a hand in her hair.
"Come in now, Ben, Lucy--"
"That wingnut washed out of NASA for sneaking two Victoria's Secret wannabes into a flight simulator." Lucy argued.
"Youthful high spirits." Reed said calmly, trying to calm them down.
"They crashed it into a wall. A flight simulator." Ben intersepted.
"When have I ever asked you to do something you absolutely said you could not do?" Reed faced Ben.
"Five times." Ben walked down the stairs.
"I had it at four." Reed smirked.
"Well, this makes five." Lucy chuckled, following Ben.
They fixed up their things for the mission each getting individual duffle bags to put their items in. Lucy got a few clothes, pictures and what not. Lucy was prepared for the mission. She'd already put on her suit.
She looked over to Ben, who was looking at a picture of his wife, Debbie.
"I miss you already, Debs." Ben smiled.
"Captain on the bridge!" A familiar voice shouted behind them as Ben stood up straight. Lucy stayed still, focusing on fixing her things. She already knew who it was.
"Digital camera; two hundred and fifty four dollars. Memory stick; fifty nine dollars." Johnny smirked.
Ben looked away, partly in annoyance and also cause of the flash. Lucy stood up, watching everything unfold.
"The look on your hard-ass former CO's face when he finds out he's your junior officer; priceless." Johnny sat down as he stared at Lucy. When he uttered the last word of his sentence his eyes were immediately glued to her. She remained unphased to avoid further controversy.
Ben approached him as Johnny moved his head back slightly expecting Ben to give him a good old whack. Lucy's smirk faded as Ben only adjusted his suit.
"Thank you. That's so sweet." Johnny smirked.
"I can handle the ship. I can even handle Mr. Blonde Ambition." Ben smiled, "But I don't know whether I should be flying or doing Swan Lake in these suits. I mean, who the hell came up with these?" Ben took the hanger holding up the suit and faced Reed.
"Victor did." Sue smiled walking into the room. "The synthetics act as a second skin, adapting to your body's individual needs." Reed put down his files, looking Sue up and down. Or at least that's what Lucy thought.
"See now, it keeps the hot stuff hot and it keeps the cool stuff cool." Johnny said waving his hands around.
"Wow. Fantastic." Reed mouthed. Lucy chuckled quietly, sitting down nest to Johnny. He glanced at her for a second before looking away.
Lucy raised an eyebrow as she saw Reed casually checking Sue out. Instead he got the suits and examined the material, "Material made from self-regulating unstable molecules." Sue's prideful smile faded.
"I've been working on a formula for this." Lucy and Johnny looked doubtingly at Sue. Reed was definitely trying to save himself the embarrassment by pretending to be facinated by the suits. When that was extremely far from the truth.
"Great minds think alike." Sue sighed. "Here you go, Ben." Sue said, handing the suit over to Ben.
"Thanks, sweetie." Ben said, as he proceeded to put on the suit.
"Lucy." Sue smiled, handing her the suit as she followed Sue to the changing room. Not before giving Reed his suit.
"Reed." Sue threw the suit at Reed as Lucy quietly chuckled.
They walked into the changing room as Lucy proceeded to put on her suit. Sue looked over at Lucy, analyzing there was something wrong with her.
Sue turned to Lucy, "Hey, I know you still can't get over what happened that night. I'm so sorry."
"It's alright. I got the whole thing out of my head a long while ago." Lucy smiled.
"You sure you're okay?" Sue placed hand on her shoulder.
"Yeah." Lucy smiled, hugging Sue in the process.
"If you need Cupid, I'm right here . . ." Sue smirked as Lucy chuckled a bit.
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